FEMA's Revenge

So FEMA's credibility was annihilated in 2005. They became the laughing stock of the world. Their ability to do anything useful was more than called into question.

Now, I see they are getting their revenge.


I'm sure FEMA has been plotting this for years, but it is only now about to come to fruition. Mandatory flood insurance, for any and all property owners who have even a 1% chance of a flood each year(known as a 100 year flood, because if you have 1%/year, it would be 100 years before there would statistically be 1 flood).

100 years!

Why not go all out, and require continental shift insurance (aka earthquake insurance) if there's a 1% chance per year for a minor earthquake, require hurricane insurance, lightning insurance, tornado insurace? Hell, Obama wants to make breathing insurance mandatory (aka forced health insurance for all who breathe), why not just make every property owner in America just hand over their fucking paychecks to the government? If they can't pay, make the land public, then give it to drug dealers and prostitutes, and make those left with private property pay for that too.



In case anyone is wondering what the hell I'm ranting about, here is a link to a map that shows all the houses that need mandatory flood insurance in my area. It's most of the City of Stockton, the map covers San Joaquin County.

http://www.sjmap.org/floodzoneviewer/Disclaimer.htm

Terrorism

Remember back in 2001, when everyone was coming up with scenarios where "the terrorists win". It was a curious social meme.

"If we don't keep living out normal lives, the terrorists win".

I think that's an important one. It's the only one that seems to explain America's blind ignorant stumbling from 2001-until now.

We haven't had any more terrorist attacks in the United States. This is true. But we have had many attempts. It isn't for lack of effort that no one has attacked.

And September 11, 2001 wasn't anywhere near the first attempted attack, nor the first successful attack.

I think it is amazing, that people can so easily disregard attempted attacks, and take successful ones so seriously.

Intent to cause harm was present in either case. It is usually not a failure of the terrorists that they got caught, but rather a success of security, at some point along the way.

The British have saved us from a huge attack. Our border security stopped a huge attack, the FBI has stopped huge attacks. Even regular people stopped the 'shoe bomber' when all measures of security failed.

Right now, we have suspects in custody, who may have been planning to bomb New York. This has not ended.

Do not let people tell you the threats are long since over.

Cups

What the hell is wrong with cups?

First, why do any cups, let alone most disposable cups expand from bottom to top? I can't buy a soda from a fast food restaurant or from a festival, or I don't know Dixie, without it having a diameter at the bottom maybe 1/2 of the top. I mean, isn't that the definition of 'top heavy'?

Also, with all the business at the top end of the cup, you'd think it were a conspiracy. If you get your soda filled up for you, the top end, which is the most voluminous, will be mostly fizz. It also makes it more 'open' for shit to fall into it, and for it to spill. Never mind the durability, I mean, if you squeeze the cup, just a little, that big honking top pops the plastic cover right off and all the soda just waiting up there spills out.

I assume the pro argument would be that with an increasing circumference from bottom to top, it better allows for a cup to fit any cup holder, but who the hell cares about that shit? Cup holders are pretty much standardized at this point (<- except whatever that is). Oh, and apparently from this amazing online infomercial, factory cup holders cause drinks to spill anyway.

If I haven't put enough emphasis on the overall failure of modern cup technology yet, let me then fall down to the bottom of the cup. That weak, pathetic bottom. Why is it, that with most paper cups, the bottom is the weakest part? The bottom is under the most pressure, it should be the strongest! And if this were only a relative comparison, and not a fatal flaw, I wouldn't mind it. But the simple truth is, if you use a paper cup, the bottom will get wet, and it will collapse. It's like a timer for anyone wanting a cool drink... how long do I have to drink this delicious drink, before the bottom starts buckling under the massive weight of several ounces?

Imagine if you will, some scenario where people have gathered out in a remote location, maybe miles from a water fountain, and said people have chosen to bring a big cooler of water, and paper cups for quenching natural thirst. Now, use your thinking noggin to imagine what its like, on this hot dry day, as the cups begin breaking from reuse. Sure, it's just some cheap paper cup, there's plenty. But they wear down. More and more people want water, and more and more cups are used up. Eventually, your stuck with using two or three breached cups, hoping you can down the life giving water faster than it can leak its way out onto the unappreciative ground. This very horrid scenario is actually based on a true story. I was stuck collecting other people's used, and ruined cups and putting them under my tiny cup, to get sips of life giving water, while moored out in Tokyo Bay during a 5 hour deck watch. The horror. The horror.

All I'm talking about here is paper, or plastic, holding liquid for a day, at best. Are we really so pathetic a species, that we can't hold some water for a day? I've seen plants do a better job!

Lessons Learned:

1. Do not google image search "McDonald's cup" with safe search off. Then again, if you roll without "safe search", you've probably seen worse.

2. Blogger spell check says "location" is spelled wrong. It suggests (no joke) "lo cat ion".

3. I swear I had more complaints about cups, but this blog took a lot longer than I imagined. The later at night it gets, the slower and dumber I get.